Glow in the Dark Cats Help HIV Study

Does your cat glow in the dark? Probably not--but scientists have recently genetically created cats that do. What's more is that these glow in the dark cats are being used to help in the scientific battle against HIV and AIDS, according to a new report by The Journal.IE.

The kittens were genetically engineered with a specific gene which makes them glow green. The hope is that the glow in the dark gene will be able to help fight Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV).

The study is being run by the by Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.

According to the Mayo Clinic and the report by The Journal.IE, "FIV causes AIDS in cats the same way the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) does in people, by depleting the body's infection-fighting T-cells."

In an effort to study HIV, scientists are trying to recreate the way that evolution naturally produces protective proteins in the body. In order to do so, scientists injected genes into the glow in the dark cats for a rhesus monkey version of an antiviral protein known to block cell infection by FIV and a jellyfish gene, which creates the green glow.

This gene modification approach is hoped to help researchers understand how gene therapy in the future can be used to aid AIDS patients.

Worried about the glow in the dark cats involved in the research? Since HIV and FIV are closely related, the hope is that this study will also work towards helping cats suffering from FIV as much as it helps humans suffering from HIV.

"It can help cats as much as people," said Eric Poeschla, MD, the leader of the international study.

Still, there seems to be an issue with using live animals for study.

What do you think? Do you think these glow in the dark cats are unique, and are you OK with them being used in this study which can potentially help both humans and cats? Or are you not OK with these glow in the dark cats, and think that their use in research is wrong?

Let us know what you think in a comment!